Wow, another week is all but over, and I am none the wiser.
Really not much to say. At long last, I have a potential mentor, and have my first meeting next week. This is an exec leaving my account, and I like her style (not all bluster and shouting, like many [male] execs) so am hoping she can help me with my career with more EQ and less testosterone.
I did actually throw my hat in the ring for another role as well. Early days, and based on past performance, will likely come to nothing, so I will say nothing more until something actually happens.
We are off in the 'van this weekend, down to the New Forest with A&E. It is always a bit stressful preparing for it*, but when the first beer is cracked open, or sometimes the second, everything straightens out nicely and the evening can begin in earnest. As a rule, the girls drink too much too early, and are then rubbish at Canasta. At least, that is the excuse they give.
Hope you have a great weekend, and speak next week.
============================
* We planned to pack last night, and that was on the day that Maggot 1 was playing a rugby match after school, Maggot 2 had gone with A&E's nanny for the afternoon, Maggot 2 had to be dropped at 6pm at Brandy Hole Lane Woods, picked up at 8pm, give or take 20 minutes, while Maggot 1 had to be back at school for an open evening (he was one of the helpers) for 6.45pm and picked up at 8.30pm. Add to that a request from A&E to pickup their Maggot 2 from the Woods also, to be part of a hostage-swap type maneuver at the school (since A&E's Maggot 1 was also a helper). We also had to get a quick shop at Tesco's in for cake making ingredients, plus some Italian beer for my Italian-themed Birthday Party. And in-between, we had to pack the car with all the stuff for a weekend away
Showing posts with label maggots. Show all posts
Friday, 3 October 2014
Monday, 25 March 2013
What a weekend
It was a very good, if busy, weekend. Maggot 1's birthday party went well, if it was rather "high energy". It started with LaserQuest at an tatty industrial estate just opposite Starfleet Portsmouth actually, in an area that one of Maggot 1's friends described delightfully as "a bit gangster".
This involved running round a dark "play zone" (you know, slides and climbs and rope walks all framed by oodles of padding) trying to shoot people with laser guns. As you can imagine, the primeval aspect of living and dying plus the general hysteria of a darkened room, flashing lights and very loud music made them very excitable. And when I say very, I say that only because the English language has not yet found a work that means more than very, other than very very, or very very very.
Then it was back to ours for Skyfall and food, consisting of every food group; fat, sugar and crap. Having wound them up giving them guns to shoot people, this was an unruly affair, with one of the friends in particular being very disruptive. It got to 9.30pm and they were just starting to apply SAS hand-to-hand combat techniques to each other when we finally called time, split them in to two groups and took them home.
Having spent all evening without a beer* I had imagined returning home and cracking open a tinnie, but to be honest even I had had enough by then, so instead it was get the kids to bed and retire ourselves to watch about 2 minutes of Jonathan Ross before we fell asleep.
The following day we went up to Newbury to visit Brad and Angelina. We had a great day there, culminating, after a very cold and very short walk, with "high tea", a delectable mix of crumpets, scones and Victoria sponge, with lashings of tea. Lovely.
Brad and I also had plenty of time to discuss our fishing trip tomorrow, culminating in the (very sensible) decision to postpone for another 3 weeks when the weather will, surely, be slightly warmer and more amenable to sitting on the side of a lake catching lots of fish**.
Now it is Monday, and I am back to a 4 day week, rather than a 1 day week followed by a 2 day week. Friday morning we are off in the 'van to Kent, goodness knows where but Tom Tom does, for a week of fun in the sun** and general 'vannin' escapades.
====================================
* I know, Saturday night, no beer, what is the world coming to
** optimism being preferable to realism at times like this
This involved running round a dark "play zone" (you know, slides and climbs and rope walks all framed by oodles of padding) trying to shoot people with laser guns. As you can imagine, the primeval aspect of living and dying plus the general hysteria of a darkened room, flashing lights and very loud music made them very excitable. And when I say very, I say that only because the English language has not yet found a work that means more than very, other than very very, or very very very.
Then it was back to ours for Skyfall and food, consisting of every food group; fat, sugar and crap. Having wound them up giving them guns to shoot people, this was an unruly affair, with one of the friends in particular being very disruptive. It got to 9.30pm and they were just starting to apply SAS hand-to-hand combat techniques to each other when we finally called time, split them in to two groups and took them home.
Having spent all evening without a beer* I had imagined returning home and cracking open a tinnie, but to be honest even I had had enough by then, so instead it was get the kids to bed and retire ourselves to watch about 2 minutes of Jonathan Ross before we fell asleep.
The following day we went up to Newbury to visit Brad and Angelina. We had a great day there, culminating, after a very cold and very short walk, with "high tea", a delectable mix of crumpets, scones and Victoria sponge, with lashings of tea. Lovely.
Brad and I also had plenty of time to discuss our fishing trip tomorrow, culminating in the (very sensible) decision to postpone for another 3 weeks when the weather will, surely, be slightly warmer and more amenable to sitting on the side of a lake catching lots of fish**.
Now it is Monday, and I am back to a 4 day week, rather than a 1 day week followed by a 2 day week. Friday morning we are off in the 'van to Kent, goodness knows where but Tom Tom does, for a week of fun in the sun** and general 'vannin' escapades.
====================================
* I know, Saturday night, no beer, what is the world coming to
** optimism being preferable to realism at times like this
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
On a call
I am on a call, a virtual place on which I spend an inordinately large amount of time. This one is slightly different in that it is presentation and voice through a browser. One guy could really do with taking the well-worn advice "back off the mic" because he is rather shouting and his voice is most definitely distorting like only an illegal rave DJ can normally manage.
The content of the presentation is about the coming year. It is full of bravado* and oodles of numbers, and plenty of discussion on revenue this, GP that and underlying cost base the other. To be honest, they wash over me a bit like whale music during a massage, and my mind starts to wander towards what it is like working at their level, where their whole business life is about the numbers, which presumably means reviews with their reportees, spreadsheets and worrying about a 0.1% variance in the wotsit. I guess there must be pleasure in what they do, maybe the power, the money, the career aspirations, but boy oh boy, it seems like a pretty grim existence to me. Which is probably why I am where I am, and they are where they are. And on that note, sounds like the Maggots are back from football practice, so better go see what they have been up to today. This usually goes something along the lines of "So, what did you do today at school?". "Nothing," they reply. Sounds a lot like my day. Boom boom.
The content of the presentation is about the coming year. It is full of bravado* and oodles of numbers, and plenty of discussion on revenue this, GP that and underlying cost base the other. To be honest, they wash over me a bit like whale music during a massage, and my mind starts to wander towards what it is like working at their level, where their whole business life is about the numbers, which presumably means reviews with their reportees, spreadsheets and worrying about a 0.1% variance in the wotsit. I guess there must be pleasure in what they do, maybe the power, the money, the career aspirations, but boy oh boy, it seems like a pretty grim existence to me. Which is probably why I am where I am, and they are where they are. And on that note, sounds like the Maggots are back from football practice, so better go see what they have been up to today. This usually goes something along the lines of "So, what did you do today at school?". "Nothing," they reply. Sounds a lot like my day. Boom boom.
-----------------------------------
* I am myself a positive person, and as a rule I convey positivity in most of what I do, however I also tend to wither slightly inside when in the presence of too much positivity. Do these people every roll over and think "sod it, gonna take a duvet day"?
Monday, 19 December 2011
What are you reading?
I love a good book, and read nearly every day, but have not had much in the way of new stuff passing my door of late. LO is usually a good source of different books, but with Christmas but a few days away, most purchases of books have been put on hold lest Great Aunty Bessie should be looking to give it as a present*, and a month refit has meant that we have not been visiting our local library like we usually do. That, and a general lack of desire to leave the house to join the madness that is the high street at this time of year.
In fact, the last book I read, which I told you about in a previous post, started off as a Library book, but ended up being something I bought on Amazon because the late fines were about to exceed the purchase price. I now have it forever, and probably will re-read it sometime in the future. Re-reading is therefore a current theme for me, so that at the moment I am going back through my own personal library, digging out my own personal classics. I am currently on a Bill Bryson, and then plan to move on to a Ffyona Campbell: On Foot Through Africa which is a cracking good read**. She is best known for cheating, but let me tell you that was a tiny error in a massive massive achievement, and if the section where her backup Landrover breaks down and she reverts to pulling all her possessions in a hand cart does not make you glad you don't have demons****, then I don't know what will.
The only other thing to report is the loneliness of a long distant teleworker. The rest of the family are finished for Christmas now, so it is little ole me in the corner trying to concentrate on work while they are blowing the cobwebs off the home cinema system in a way that is making the walls shake.
On that note, gotta dash, conference call to attend, and likely some email to be tidying while I attend. Have a good week, and speak again before the break, assuming you are indeed planning to have a break.
----------------------------------------
* Unlikely at the best of time, not least because the last time we checked our family tree, we did not have a Great Aunty Bessie
** Having said that, I recommended, and indeed lent, it to Brad and he didn't get on with it at all, but then he is gay and bald so that probably explains it***
*** I am gonna be paying for that real soon.
**** It does seem to be a common theme that these extreme sports type bods do have some kind of demon driving them on (father issues, in case you were interested). Just read Ranulph Fiennes to confirm that, which are another set of books somewhere in the collection.
In fact, the last book I read, which I told you about in a previous post, started off as a Library book, but ended up being something I bought on Amazon because the late fines were about to exceed the purchase price. I now have it forever, and probably will re-read it sometime in the future. Re-reading is therefore a current theme for me, so that at the moment I am going back through my own personal library, digging out my own personal classics. I am currently on a Bill Bryson, and then plan to move on to a Ffyona Campbell: On Foot Through Africa which is a cracking good read**. She is best known for cheating, but let me tell you that was a tiny error in a massive massive achievement, and if the section where her backup Landrover breaks down and she reverts to pulling all her possessions in a hand cart does not make you glad you don't have demons****, then I don't know what will.
The only other thing to report is the loneliness of a long distant teleworker. The rest of the family are finished for Christmas now, so it is little ole me in the corner trying to concentrate on work while they are blowing the cobwebs off the home cinema system in a way that is making the walls shake.
On that note, gotta dash, conference call to attend, and likely some email to be tidying while I attend. Have a good week, and speak again before the break, assuming you are indeed planning to have a break.
----------------------------------------
* Unlikely at the best of time, not least because the last time we checked our family tree, we did not have a Great Aunty Bessie
** Having said that, I recommended, and indeed lent, it to Brad and he didn't get on with it at all, but then he is gay and bald so that probably explains it***
*** I am gonna be paying for that real soon.
**** It does seem to be a common theme that these extreme sports type bods do have some kind of demon driving them on (father issues, in case you were interested). Just read Ranulph Fiennes to confirm that, which are another set of books somewhere in the collection.
Friday, 7 October 2011
And . . . relax
Another week nearly over, some good work done, some DIY tasks completed.
On the DIY front, I have been building a built-in desk for my office, using off-cuts from my Uncle-in-Law, oak-veneered MDF, and the base desk is now installed, oiled and waxed and looking mighty fine, if I say so myself. It will still need a cable management bit added, possibly procured from Ikea, and also a shelf to hold the broadband router.
Phase two is to build a raised section for the middle of the desk rear, which will be to raise up the screens, and will also include two small drawers. The main frame pieces are cut and sanded, ready for oak edging and assembling. Once that is installed, I will then do phase two point one, which is to add the drawers to the unit. I was slightly worried that my carpentry skills would not be good enough to make this, but so far it is looking pretty good. Still have the drawers to do, which are the most complicated bit, but based on what I have done so far, and how it is looking, I think they will come out well.
It is Maggot 2's birthday this weekend, and we are having a family day in London, going up on the train, and visiting the Tower of London and Hamley's, the latter for Maggot 2 to buy his present. To avoid excessive sibling rivalry, Maggot 1 will have a small allowance to spend also.
Sunday is then a visit to a local "soft play area", with a friend who shares a nearly the same birthday, and their mutual and other friends. It should be fun, for the little ones at least, and I may even get my shoes off and have a play.
I hope you have a good weekend, speak again on Monday.
On the DIY front, I have been building a built-in desk for my office, using off-cuts from my Uncle-in-Law, oak-veneered MDF, and the base desk is now installed, oiled and waxed and looking mighty fine, if I say so myself. It will still need a cable management bit added, possibly procured from Ikea, and also a shelf to hold the broadband router.
Phase two is to build a raised section for the middle of the desk rear, which will be to raise up the screens, and will also include two small drawers. The main frame pieces are cut and sanded, ready for oak edging and assembling. Once that is installed, I will then do phase two point one, which is to add the drawers to the unit. I was slightly worried that my carpentry skills would not be good enough to make this, but so far it is looking pretty good. Still have the drawers to do, which are the most complicated bit, but based on what I have done so far, and how it is looking, I think they will come out well.
It is Maggot 2's birthday this weekend, and we are having a family day in London, going up on the train, and visiting the Tower of London and Hamley's, the latter for Maggot 2 to buy his present. To avoid excessive sibling rivalry, Maggot 1 will have a small allowance to spend also.
Sunday is then a visit to a local "soft play area", with a friend who shares a nearly the same birthday, and their mutual and other friends. It should be fun, for the little ones at least, and I may even get my shoes off and have a play.
I hope you have a good weekend, speak again on Monday.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Regency Furniture
We had a fantastic weekend away 'vannin'. The weather was, for the most part, better than the forecast, although we did get a bit of rain, on and off. This was most inconvenient on Saturday night when we were trying to have a BBQ, however a bit of ingenuity, string, spare poles and the flap from the awning made a perfect roof for the BBQ area, and a very nice meal was had by all. The awning was severely smoked in the process, and is now hanging up in the shed, drying and airing, so the shed itself now smells like I imagine one of those kipper-smoking huts smells.
The only other slight fly in the ointment, but not one that caused grief for long, was the fact that the Maggots and their maggoty friends made a camp, as you do when camping in amongst the trees. Unfortunately, this contravenes Rule 4, subsection iii of the woodland code*, and so our friendly ranger, whilst doing his rounds with snake hook** in hand, did drop by to inform us of our transgression. Needless to say that we have now tutored the maggots in the perils of Ranger Danger.
On other news, I am half way through replacing white plastic sockets and switches with brushed stainless versions in the rest of the house, to match the newer part of the house. By so doing, I have been and gotten myself a bit of an education on two way switches, being totally floored by an issue with the hallway light for an hour or more, before Uncle Google came to the rescue. I am currently learning about three way switches, for the landing light, and realise that you need a special "intermediate" switch in the middle that has four, not three, connections. A quick trip back to the electrical wholesaler will hopefully sort that one out.
I have realised however that, were events to take a turn for the worse on the employment front, "Electrician" is not one of the out-of-the-box jobs I will be considering. It is just too damn fiddly. Maybe it is my chubbly little fingers (the same chubby fingers that stops me playing even a passable rendition of any Hendrix riff***), but those little screws and the short wires and all that messing about just does nothing for me. The switches and sockets so far converted do, though, really look the business, and have finished off their host rooms nicely.
This weekend, LO is in London on Saturday with Samantha, so undoubtedly David and myself will be doing something together with the Maggots. Probably Pizza Hut like every other saddo daddo. I am also planning for Sunday to be the floor re-varnish day. Now we have the patina of oil-based varnish as a base, I plan to use water-based Diamond Hard Varnish from Ronseal, and being water-based means that it does dry quicker. I can re-coat after 2 hours, and it should be dried sufficiently to tiptoe in 8 hours, and fully dry in 24, although experience tells me it will be fully hard in a week or so. This will mean clearing the room of furniture, made somewhat easier from the recent painting, which means that the room is only a skeleton room anyway. The plan I think is to move it all to the extension, and set that up as the day room proper with sofa, chairs and TV setup. We will then be confined to downstairs until late afternoon.
David does not know it yet, but I hope to lure him back from Pizza Hut on Saturday to help with the lifting, assuming his back can take it, which is not a given.
-------------------------------------------
* Nothing may be tied or attached to any tree within the site.
** Well, it was either a snake hook or a litter spike.
*** I am all for artistic licence, but really, Hendrix? Are you sure? Ed.
The only other slight fly in the ointment, but not one that caused grief for long, was the fact that the Maggots and their maggoty friends made a camp, as you do when camping in amongst the trees. Unfortunately, this contravenes Rule 4, subsection iii of the woodland code*, and so our friendly ranger, whilst doing his rounds with snake hook** in hand, did drop by to inform us of our transgression. Needless to say that we have now tutored the maggots in the perils of Ranger Danger.
On other news, I am half way through replacing white plastic sockets and switches with brushed stainless versions in the rest of the house, to match the newer part of the house. By so doing, I have been and gotten myself a bit of an education on two way switches, being totally floored by an issue with the hallway light for an hour or more, before Uncle Google came to the rescue. I am currently learning about three way switches, for the landing light, and realise that you need a special "intermediate" switch in the middle that has four, not three, connections. A quick trip back to the electrical wholesaler will hopefully sort that one out.
I have realised however that, were events to take a turn for the worse on the employment front, "Electrician" is not one of the out-of-the-box jobs I will be considering. It is just too damn fiddly. Maybe it is my chubbly little fingers (the same chubby fingers that stops me playing even a passable rendition of any Hendrix riff***), but those little screws and the short wires and all that messing about just does nothing for me. The switches and sockets so far converted do, though, really look the business, and have finished off their host rooms nicely.
This weekend, LO is in London on Saturday with Samantha, so undoubtedly David and myself will be doing something together with the Maggots. Probably Pizza Hut like every other saddo daddo. I am also planning for Sunday to be the floor re-varnish day. Now we have the patina of oil-based varnish as a base, I plan to use water-based Diamond Hard Varnish from Ronseal, and being water-based means that it does dry quicker. I can re-coat after 2 hours, and it should be dried sufficiently to tiptoe in 8 hours, and fully dry in 24, although experience tells me it will be fully hard in a week or so. This will mean clearing the room of furniture, made somewhat easier from the recent painting, which means that the room is only a skeleton room anyway. The plan I think is to move it all to the extension, and set that up as the day room proper with sofa, chairs and TV setup. We will then be confined to downstairs until late afternoon.
David does not know it yet, but I hope to lure him back from Pizza Hut on Saturday to help with the lifting, assuming his back can take it, which is not a given.
-------------------------------------------
* Nothing may be tied or attached to any tree within the site.
** Well, it was either a snake hook or a litter spike.
*** I am all for artistic licence, but really, Hendrix? Are you sure? Ed.
Friday, 2 September 2011
And . . . relax
It is Friday already. Horray to that. Euro Lottery tonight.
But enough of this pipe-dream, back to reality. LO's first day at work today, which really does mark the end of the summer. The Maggots are out with the outlaws for the middle of the day, although they are both not feeling 100%, which is not a good start to the busiest term of the year. For anyone who has children, I know I am singing to the vicar*, but illness-induced childcare is a nightmare for the parents, and we do rely heavily on our extended network of friends and family to fill in wherever possible, but it can be a hand-to-mouth existence that does nothing to improve the stress levels of busy working parents.
Otherwise, we have a fairly quiet weekend, where I will do a bit of DIY, a bit of quality time with the maggots, and an evening out Saturday to friends for dinner.
I hope you have a good weekend also.
-----------------------
* or is it preaching to the choir?
But enough of this pipe-dream, back to reality. LO's first day at work today, which really does mark the end of the summer. The Maggots are out with the outlaws for the middle of the day, although they are both not feeling 100%, which is not a good start to the busiest term of the year. For anyone who has children, I know I am singing to the vicar*, but illness-induced childcare is a nightmare for the parents, and we do rely heavily on our extended network of friends and family to fill in wherever possible, but it can be a hand-to-mouth existence that does nothing to improve the stress levels of busy working parents.
Otherwise, we have a fairly quiet weekend, where I will do a bit of DIY, a bit of quality time with the maggots, and an evening out Saturday to friends for dinner.
I hope you have a good weekend also.
-----------------------
* or is it preaching to the choir?
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